Closure remover with jaw wheels controlled by intersecting cam and radial slots



July 7, 1953 H. J. scl-ILAGETER 2,644,354

CLOSURE REMOVER WITH JAW WHEELS CONTROLLED BY INTERSECTING CAM ND RADIAL SLOTS Filed Nov. 14. 1947 Fifa TOHNYS Patented July 7, 19753 AUNITED STATE oLosURF"y REMovER WITH" -f JAW WHEELS`` ooNrRoLLED BY INTERSECTING CAM yAND RADIAL sLo'rs. n

VHarold Schlageter, Bremerton, Wash.

Application November r14, 1947 serial No. 785,916'` Myinvention relates -toacontainer'jcap ref- *moven VMore particularly-my invention relates toY a device for removing caps Afrom various con-A tainerg and more especially'toj containers, such as fruit Ajars',Y having vscrew lcaps: or lids'held Vby screw type rings. rThus fory purposes ofillustration and not'by way of limitation, such containers will be hereinafterreferred to *as :jars

jar vcap remover wherein a4 screw rtype lid on a' jar is engaged at a plurality of locations so as to evenly distribute Ythe pressure-incident to engaging the jar lidfor removal thereof.

Another object of my inventionis to provide a device which may bepermanently supported Vby ahor'izontal surface, such as the underside of a cupboard, and which" may be opened to receive ar jar lid and tosustain a jar' softhat Aa housewife the same to thus remove the lid. f

Another object of my-invention is 'tol provide means which will tighten againstthe lid vwith increasing pressure on the jar and thus eliminate any possibility of slippage between the-jarlcap and the cap remover. f 1i L f Another object of my inventionfvis -Yto provide a device which is economical inconstruction, sub-y stantially fool proof in operation and 4one in which a jar cap may .be readily and rapidly in' serted to be removed from the jar. v y

.Another object of `my invention is toprovide a devicexwhich will remove jar caps regardless ofthe diameter thereof. iy Thefabove mentioned general objects of my invention together with others inherent in thesame are attained by the device illustrated Yin the accompanying drawings, throughout which like referencenumerals indicate like parts:

Figure 4l is a view in elevationof a device embodying my vinvention and showing a fragment of a supporting means therefor and a fragment, .in dot and clash lines,v yof'a jar in positionto have its screw type lid removed;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan View, V with parts broken away, ofthe structure shown innFigure 1, except that the supporting means of Figure 1 has will have two hands to'engage'the'ja-rand turn lbeen removed, the jar shownl by dot 'and `dash Y .i claim. (c1. :s1-3.3)

as teeth n.

the `jar lid is indicated by a fragment of a circle shown in dot and dash lines; and l Figure 3 "is a view in elevation, with parts broken away and with parts in section, 4taken substantially at l to Figure l, and showing/ley'y dot and dash lines: 'a fragment of ascrew type jar with a lid thereon, a fragment of a bottle ini place toV have its capV removed, and afragmeltv to have its cap removed. Y

Referringnow to Figure l of the drawings, my device is preferably mounted-on the underside of a cabinet or shelf, a 'fragment of whichV is indicated by 4. A case comprising acylindrical side wall 5 and a bottom plate B is provided with a plurality of ears 1.1 Each'of the earsI Yhas an rof a jar. having an anchor lid thereonin" place 'opening therein Ato receive a screws Aso that the case 5-6 and parts connected therewith may be, y

rigidly secured in place and supported by the fragment 4. These ears I'are rigid with the case 5 6 and in normal construction will be punched out of the side walls 5. In the interest of clarity,y the fragment 4 and screwsv 8 have been'omitted from'Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings. Y

vThe plate 9 is mounted for rotaryfmovement in the caser 5 6 as will be hereinafter explained. The plate 9 ls'provided with a plurality of helical tracks I0 and in the drawings three thereof are illustrated. Each of the'helical tracks I0 is "pro-- vided at one edge thereof with teeth I I to provide arack. f A plurality of shafts I2 are provided and each thereof rigidly carries a gear I3.r Also each shaft I2 rigidlycarries a lidengaging knurled wheel I4.' A guide roll23 is rotatablymounted on each shaft I2.V The severalV parts on each shaft I-Zare prevented from moving lengthwise thereof, as by head portions I5 and I6.' The shafts l2 are mounted to move radially in slots I1 in the bottom plate 6. In this movement each wheel Ill` slidingly engages one face of the plate Sand its associated gear I3 slidingly engages the other sur-` face of said plate 6. f Y

Each gear LI3 is mounted in its track I8- to engage the teeth II thereof. A helical raised portion I8 is associated with each of the helical tracks IIJ and overlies 'the gearl I3 to yretain the Agear I3 between said raised portion I8 and the bottom plate 6. Obviously, the helical raised portions I8 may be separate plates superposed above plate 9 or the same may be raised portions stamped outl of the.V plate VE). The rolls V23 ride against the outer edge ofthe raisedportionsl and maintain the gears yI3 in contact gwiththe shafts I2 and wheels I4 thereon will move radially in response to counterclockwise movement (as respects the showing in Figure 2) lof the plate 9. Means to move the plate 9 in the desired direction, as counterclockwise in Figure 2, comprise a shaft I9 rigidly secured .to the plate 6. The shaft I9 rotatively supports plate 9. Preferably the plate 9 need only be 'urged'in one 'direcobtained by providing a knurled surface rather than the teeth II and a wheel with a knurled surface thereon in place of the gear I3. The

teeth I I are in effect a spiral rack and each gear I3 is in effect the pinion for such rack.

Obviously if the plate 9 is provided with any suitable means so it is held, then if case 5 6 is rotated We will have the same action. Thus relative movement between said parts is all that is needed. Thus if plate 9 is held it will function asthe case member and 5 5 as the plate member'.v Also the spiral tracks Ii) may be in the held member-or the movable member and likewise the radial "slots I1 may be in the held member or tion, as counterclockwise in Figure 2 andreturns underspring pressure to a normal position. Means `to accomplish this kpurpose .comprise a coiled spring havingone end rigid with the shaft I9 and the other end secured to the'plateg 2i rigid. with saidV whichl may comprise a pin plate 9. f

A convenient means for turning plate -9 `comprises a handle 22 which is rigidly connected with plater. A s-lot 24 in side wall 5 permits, the handle V22 to extend within the case 5 6 to engage plate 9 and have an externa-l portion which can be readily engaged. The slot `24 isi-of suitable length, such as 180, so as to provide for suitable tr-avelof the pla-te9 and in turn suitable radial movement of the knurled wheels I4.

As the plate 9 moves relative to the `shafts I2, the said shafts I2 will move radially. After the plate B has been moved an appropriate distance in -a counterclockwise direction, the wheels i4 will be 'sufficiently radially spaced so that a jar lid 25 can be disposed between the same. Then upon release of the plate 9, the spring 2u will cause plate 9 to move in a vclockwise `direction and the wheels I4 will engage with the jar lid. Of course if spring 29 is not employed, the plate 9 may `be manually moved clockwise. As viewed in Figure 2 of the drawings, a jar will be rotated in a counterclockwise direction to unscrew the jar from the' lid. Thus the jar lid, lindicated by dot and dash line in Fig-ure 2, will vtend to move in a coun-y terolockwise direction. This will tend to cause wheels I4 to move in a clockwise direction by reason of friction between them andthe lid. As the wheels I4 tend to move in a clockwise direction similarly the gears I'3- tend to move in al clockwise direction and also radially inwardly. Due to the presence of the jar lid between the wheels I 4. the Wheels I4 cannot move inwardly. Thus the jar lid is locked between theI knurled wheels I4 and the greater the rotary pressure that is applied -on the jar to remove the same Vfrom the lid, the greater will be the Vpressure, ofthe wheels I4 against ythe Ajar lid to hold it against turning. Putting the matter another way, if a jar and jar lid are lturned in a counterclockwise direction, the jar lid will tend to cause the knurled wheels I4 to move clockwise. This lcauses shaft I2 (which is .rigid with knurled Wheels I4) tend to move in a clockwise direction. As each shaft 'I2 rigidly carries a gear I3, the gear I3 inturning causes the plate 9 to move clockwise and thus moves the shafts I2 radially inwardly. Preferably I thus employ gears I3 and teeth I I tothus provide positive movement of the Vplate 9 upon rotary movement in a clockwise -direction,of the Wheels I4. However, satisfactory results can' be vengaging member 2'I.

the movable member. Case 5 6 thus constitutes a plate member and plate 9 constitutes another.

Preferably a ,plate 26 is carried by the case '5 6 and'terminat'es in a, beer bottle type cap Thus a beer bottle type bottle 28 can be readily decapped by the member 2li,...- Ifdesiredy.a raised portion v2S! in the .plate S may be employed-so that-the member 21 will more readilyy engage the cap on the bottle 28.

Y Preferably a portion of the plate 26 is stamped out :to .prov-Aide .theprotruding Vpor-tion 30 which will thus leave -the opening 3l. Such protruding portion l3.70 is useful for removing anchor type lidsfroma jar 3 2A carrying the same.

V{Obviously,,the-means for removing caps from bottles 2.8 -and-j.ars 32.Vare auxiliary and are employed to Ypro-viole an all-purpose unit. Primarily myl invention .relates to .a construction for removing screw `type lids from jars which areillustrated by the fragment of a jar 32 shown in Figures 1 and 3, the lid of which is illustrated by the fragmen-t of a circle 25 in Figure 2.

Inthe foregoing and in the appended claim the slots If'I are referred to as radial slots. Preferablysu-,ch slots follow a true radius but not necessarily. It is to be understood that such term also includesslots which extend tow-ard the center whether or .not a true radius is followed.

. Obviously, changes may be made in the forms, dimensions, and arrangements of the parts of my invention, the above setting forth only a preferred form of embodiment.

I claim: j Y Y A device for removing screw type lids from jars lor thelike comprising a case member having three radial slots therein; case member mountin-gmeans :connected with said :case member for mounting the same on a fixed support; a plate member yjdisposed adjacent said case member, mounted for rotary movement as respects said case mem-ber, and provided with'three helical slots which respectively inter-sect the said Vradial slots; a rack disposedon lsimilar edge portions of each helical slot; shaft means mounted for rotaryand radial movements in each of said radial slots; pinion means rigidly carried by each of said shaft vmeans and each meshing with one of said racks, whereby sai-d shaft means may move radially in v.said radial slots upon relative movement between said Acase and plate members; spring means urging said plate member in a ldirection to move said shaft means radially -inwardly; handle means connected lwith said plate member, projecting. outwardly of said case member,.for` urging said plate member in a direction opposite to that urged by said spring means;

move radially inwardly and against said lid under the influence of said spring means, and said lid engaging means `will tighten upon said lid upon relative angular movement in one direction between the lid and said Wheel lid engaging means. v

HAROLD J SCHLAGETER.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,394,388 Wisenberg et a1 Oct. 18, 1921 Number Number Name Date Swissgabel Mar. 25, 1924 May Mar. 19, 1929 Hauck Jan. 1'7, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany July 28, 1920 

